Since we've been discussing public housing density, here is some research from the Growler plus a few calculations:
Arlington County: 0 public housing units (only Section 8 vouchers and set-asides)
Loudoun County: 0 public housing units
Prince William County, Manassas, and Manassas Park: 0 public housing units
The only jurisdictions with public housing are:
City of Alexandria: 1,150 public housing units
Fairfax County (including Falls Church and Herndon): 1,063 public housing units
Fairfax County covers 395 square miles and had a population of 969,749 according to the 2000 Census. Public housing density across the County is therefore 2.7 units per square mile. There is roughly one public housing unit for every 1,000 residents.
The City of Alexandria covers 15.75 square miles and had a population of 128,283 according to the 2000 Census. Public housing density is 73 units per square mile and roughly one public housing unit for every 111 residents.
Feel free to correct the Growler's math ...
27 comments:
If your math is at all accurate then the posting is damned depressing. And folks wonder how the Dems remain in power year after year after year. They created a built-in special interest group.
Are you seriously saying that the 1,150 public housing patrons make up a special interest group that elects city council? How many of the people that live in public housing go out to the poles and vote, or for that matter are even allowed to? I don't know the answer and I'm not knocking anyone here, so don't read into this the wrong way.
Growler, I think that this subject should be shared on a city level and not just P.G. Have you thought about starting a seperate blog for the entire city in reference to this one issue?
Lets see what other citizens in the city would say and see the expressions of all the NIMBYers.
If they start their complaining now, we may be able to someway use it as some sort of inside knowledge in the future.
What blather. What is NIMBY? An acronym for not in my backyard or a synonym for politically impotent? Sorry, dude, but if you check the previous precinct data you will find that public housing residents have tipped many an election.
Are NIMBY and Travel Lodge euphemisms for process? We're a results oriented couple bored with the ineptness of Parker Gray process. But having recently attended an ICCA meeting I understand why an alternative forum is needed.
Wow - I'm stunned by those numbers. Imagine what the stats would be if you limited your analysis to PG!
I'm curious. Where does the City get funding for its public housing? It is federal money, City money, or a combination of both? If it's a combination, what is the percentage the City contributes?
Whats really sad in your analysis, Growler, is that your analysis doesnt point out the obvious:
More that 35% of the units are concentrated in a 3 block area of the city that we all call Parker Gray.
So if u take that away and look at Alexandria without the Parker Gray public housing mass, the numbers would come closer in proportion to what Fairfax has.
The high concentration of public housing is not "felt" by Alexandria residents because most of them dont live near it; we do.
And hat in a nutshell probably explains why the Alexandria limousine liberal set is able to get away with ignoring Parker Gray for so long.
Growler can correct, but most of the funding comes from HUD and from the State of Virginia. The city's funding is limited on public housing. This is ARHA's dilemna; HUD is continually cutting money for old-style public housing, which hurts ARHA on all their big public housing projects, while still keeping funding for Section 8 (the newer model of public housing) relatively steady. Mos tof ARHA's units are the old type, and as the funding goes away from HUD (and I dont think that changes regardless of Democratic or Republican control) ARHA has to dip into reserves to support complexes like Adkins and Bland.
However, indirect funding does come into play when u consider the increased police and social services costs associated with public housing. The increased police presence needed there 24/7 and the constant increases in social services money required to support the public housing mass in Parker Gray is quite large and these costs are heavily born by City residents, with help from the State and Federal government primarily coming from grants where available.
Sorry, dude, but if you check the previous precinct data you will find that public housing residents have tipped many an election.
HOW DO YOU TIP ELECTIONS IN A CITY THAT ONLY DEMOCRATS RUN IN?
I just don't get it. Everything I read here makes it seem like Section 8 housing is the most rational choice. Why wouldn't the City move towards that more modern model? If the City can get steady funding from the feds for section 8 AND redevelop the valuable land in PG to produce tax revenue-generating residences and businesses, why wouldn't we do this? Especially since the city could provide housing via section 8 for the current residents of public housing. What is the downside to shifting the old style public housing units into Section 8?
Here's the link to the data for the last Mayoral and City Council races.
http://www.alexandriavoter.org/elecstats.html
Help the Growler out and point to the specific data that shows public housing tipped this or any recent local race ...
"Are NIMBY and Travel Lodge euphemisms for process? We're a results oriented couple bored with the ineptness of Parker Gray process. But having recently attended an ICCA meeting I understand why an alternative forum is needed."
To anyone that would like to take an active role in the future of PG, the ICCA eleactions are being held on November 8th. It is time to be a leader.
"Sorry, dude, but if you check the previous precinct data you will find that public housing residents have tipped many an election."
"Help the Growler out and point to the specific data that shows public housing tipped this or any recent local race ..."
Thank you Growler, you can't point it out because it's just not there.
And for 16th census tract?
It's obviously impossible to know if residents of the public housing units "tipped" an election or not because the data will never exist to support an thorough analysis (voting is supposed to be an anonymous process, after all.) The point is that, assuming there is a least one eligible voter in each of the 1150 public housing units (and many units have more than one voting-age adult in residence), that makes a significant block of voters in an election where Council members are elected with 8000 votes.
As I've mentioned before in posts on this blog, the whole idea of having elections outside of the normal federal election cycle (even outside of the state election cycle) seems like a deliberate attempt to supress voter turnout. I don't doubt that these races would be more competitive if more than 20% of registered voters were participating.
what,do people think of the upcoming elections for the ICCA? Is there any action-minded person/people out there who want to lead us out of reactionary, to little to late status? I for one would love to support someone other trhan the old guard, itis time for a change.
Since the ICCA is holding elections next week maybe the ICCA Board would like to post the nominees now, both their and the self-nominated candidates.
what a concept, releasing the list of nominees prior to the elections! Why it almost sounds like democracy. I had no idea that the actual ELECTION would happen this week, anyone else want to move that elections be held in December after the 'candidates' have an opportunity to tell us what they actually propose to do and campaign.
Good idea: how do we all contact the ICCA for more information about the election? Anyone know?
Unfortunately, there are no candidates. The current board will serve again, but only becasue noone else is willing to do it. I can't believe that all of the people here spend so much time complaining about a group, only to contribute nothing.
"I can't believe that all os the people here spend so much time complaining about a group, only to contribute nothing."
Okay let's the questions around. What exactly has the ICCA Board accomplished this last year that I have failed to appreciate. Trust me when I say yours will be a hard sell. But go for it!
"I can't believe that all of the people here spend so much time complaining about a group, only to contribute nothing."
I would say the same thing about the City Council. Blame Bush, blame the state, never do anything and never contribute anything.
"Okay let's the questions around. What exactly has the ICCA Board accomplished this last year that I have failed to appreciate. Trust me when I say yours will be a hard sell. But go for it!"
If you think that nothing has been accomplished, volunteer. I am just sick of people whining and then not trying to do anything about it.
"what exactly has the ICCA Board accomplished"
Easy question. Just fill in the blanks.
1.
2.
3.
THEN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!
Why is touting the ICCA's accomplishments so difficult unless of course there are no accomplishments to tout?
You all need to get a life, seriously.
"The Growler said...
Here's the link to the data for the last Mayoral and City Council races.
http://www.alexandriavoter.org/elecstats.html
Help the Growler out and point to the specific data that shows public housing tipped this or any recent local race ... "
Growler, I dont think its fair to say public housing residents tip elections. However, I think its fair to say that Alexandria democrats conveniently use public housing and other social service issues as part of their "strategy" to win votes.
They basically promise a whole set of all-u-can-eat social services, creating our out of whack social service budget, while stuffing those services in a few census tracts. Then they use the conditions in those tracts to justify more social services and blame conditions in those tracts on anyone but themselves (its basically ARHA's motto; its not our fault we bunch all our projects in one area and never allow them to be rebuilt)
If they city actually truly spread out public housing, homeless shelters, section 8 housing, etc...across the city and residents had to experience the associated negatives (since all we hear about from the city is the positives) they might have a change of heart as to what is going on. But since they dont bear the costs of crime and dysfunction, they drive down Route 1, witness the late night lunacy and buy into the idea that it cant be ARHA or Council's fault; that the reason for these conditions is the Feds or the state.
Post a Comment